Hidden gem in the beautiful surroundings of the gothic Tullynally castle and woodlands…read more Superb home cooking in an authentic rustic cafe served by the delightful Shirley and her team. The castle and court yard also host a wide range of events from classical music to a vintage car rally that arrived when I was there. Castlepollard may be off the beaten tourist track but, if you are in the area, its well worth a diversion for a leisurely coffee and some home baking.

So so beautiful and quirky. Love this place, amazing finds…read moreto be had. Beautiful walks

We were driving past by total chance and I saw the sign for 'The Green Barn' as I was heading…read moretowards Athy looking for a place to stop on our journey from Dublin to Kilkenny. It's part of Burton House and it's one of the most amazing food venues in Ireland, the craftsmanship and architecture is just superb against the stunning backdrop of the curated vegetable gardens. It's pure heaven, I really hope it gets the visitors it needs though it was quiet when we were there on a Friday afternoon. Apparently it opened in October 2016 so it might not be well known yet.

We visited Mount Usher Gardens last Sunday morning with some of the kids and we all had a really…read moregreat time. While I have come to appreciate beautiful gardens and views over the years, I was quite surprised at how much the kids enjoyed the walk through the gardens, along the riverbank, through the wildflower meadows, around the rare trees and shrubs and across the suspended walk-bridges. It cost about EU 25 for the 5 of us, and we got a couple of hours of real enjoyment from this. Over the next few months the trees and shrubs will bloom at different times and I expect to visit again to see the colours change. We finished up with lunch in the Avoca restaurant in the gardens. The restaurant is excellent, as all Avoca's seem to be. Great food and excellent service. Next time I visit Mount Usher, I will book a table in the restaurant before I start the tour of the gardens so that I can avoid queing for a table when I'm ready for lunch. The only snag was the very limited parking.

I finally made it here for the first time. Had meant to come for years. And I almost didn't go as…read morethe weather forecast was horrendous. But luckily I don't care about forecasts! Ok, we were extremely lucky. It rained while driving down and after exploring the gardens for 2 1/2 hours it really rained heavily. But we got to enjoy the gardens dry and even in sunshine. Probably not everybody walks around for that long as they are not that big. But with lots of little paths and beautiful and unusual trees and plants - so loads to see. And I had my camera with me so that always takes longer anyhow. The ticket is valid for the day. So you can even go out of the gardens, have a coffee, cake or lunch and go back in to explore more and in the ever changing Irish light it will be different all the time. Yes, €7.50 is quite expensive and maybe that was one of the reasons I haven't been yet. But I'd say it takes a lot of work to look after the gardens so I plan already to go back in spring despite the price. Especially when the Azalea are in blossom. The Azalea Walk must be incredible.

Last Summer Trinity College's Rose Garden provided a beautiful and idyllic setting for…read moreShakespeare's best-loved romantic comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. Situated behind the New Square apartments the garden provides a composed sanctuary away from the other often harried university grounds. The cherry blossom in April is a sight to savour, the pastel pinks and whites complimenting the unruffled spirit of this safe haven superbly. As the Spring draws closer you notice actors practicing plays within the garden and I was fortunate enough to see it turn into an Open Air Theatre when the official Shakespeare Company came to perform there as referred to in my opening sentence. The dramatic, vivid emerald green of the lawn and rustic auburn of the tree trunks provided a picturesque setting for this poignant performance to be carried out within. The emotion of the performance was translated well within such a stirring and unique backdrop as this creating a magical open-air festival of love, laughter and amorous adventure. Furthermore, the Elizabethan costumes worn by the actors corresponded with the romanticism attributed to the garden perfectly. With a sun-dial at the back and wrought iron birds lining the lawn this refuge from the hustle and bustle evitable within a vibrant student community as that which Trinity exudes is a wonderful place to visit. Grab a bench and enjoy an hour or two with a take away tea and enthralling book.

Love it... Being a vegetarian I must say it was wonderful food with many options to choose from…read more#happeninnnnn Vegetarian lunch platter was very memorable, huge size and i was able to take loads home for dinner than evening. great beautiful location and i will most defiantly be returning.

"Poopoo daddy" Eh? What did you say son?…read more"POOPOO DADDY!" "awah crap"... literally... A two year old who needs to go to the loo now... I'm hammering...I mean sedately driving down the N11 just coming up to Avoca, perfect, we'll stop in there. The wife is thrilled, she's been trying to get me to go here for ages. Toilet duties complete we wander into the shop / restaurant. It is huge and packed to the rafters with all sorts or retro and colourful goodies. All we did was wander around and buy a few bits, they have an inordinately large collection of tea and tea making gadgets - very cool.. Sadly the cafe was closing as we arrived so we had to make do with take away nosh. Not the end of the world by any means, we got the fish pie, very tasty. For anyone into plants the surrounding gardens / grounds look fascinating. We'll definitely be back when we have more time and fewer emergencies!

Beautiful botanical garden in Dublin! The wide variety of…read moreplants on display is fantastic! -Victorian greenhouse -will finish later-

I visited this spot after going through the library. It was a nice sunny day and the garden was a…read morelovely place to just take a break and get some air and sun. There were some great views but I think the garden itself could be more fleshed out. I wanted more plants and flowers but it was a lot of rock and walkways which was disappointing. It was easy to get to at least and there were some benches to relax on, but that was about it.

Serenity within serenity…read more Hidden atop the Chester Beatty Library is the rooftop garden. A faded wooden sign indicates that this was designed as a contemporary Irish garden using natural materials, without trying to imitate a historic style from any particular culture. High wood trellises deliberately shield the garden from outside view, though there are small cutouts that offer a partial view of the grounds below if you stand right behind them. There are climbing plants on the trellises that are supposed to enclose the garden when they are mature. Whether you're here to unwind from a busy day, or simply to take a break during your exploration of the Library, the rooftop garden offers a tranquil, protective place to get away from it all.

Opened to the public in 1832, Glasnevin is the largest cemetery in Ireland and is the main cemetery…read morefor the city of Dublin. It is the final resting place well more than 800,000 people most of whom were in mass graves as a result of the Great Famine and a cholera epidemic in the 1840s. The cemetery contains the final resting place of many notable Irish figures including one of the more famous, Michael Collins who was the nationalist leader killed in the Irish Civil War of 1922. Others that I was able to find include.. Brendan Behan (1923-1964), author and activist who was jailed at an early age for participating in a bombing. Éamon de Valera (1882-1975), president of Sinn Fein and later third president of Ireland. Father Francis Browne (1880-1960), Jesuit priest who is known for the pictures he took of the RMS Titanic (it was built in Belfast). Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891), Irish nationalist politician There is a large section of military memorials and throughout the cemetery are monuments to those who fought for Irish independence. There is free parking and the cemetery offers guided tours on a regular basis. You can also purchase tickets to climb the large bell tower which apparently has great views of Dublin. There is a small cafe and there is a gift shop. While there is no driving in the cemetery, the lanes throughout are smooth and easily walkable. Update from my friend Klaus-Dieter: "Éamon de Valera, called Dev, has taken part in in the Easter Rising. He wasn't executed by the Brits, because he also had the American citizenship. He left Sinn Fein and became founder of a new party named Fianna Faíl." [Review 1819 of 2024 - 79 in Republic of Ireland - 22841 overall]

Plenty of history here, over 1.5 million buried at this cemetery. It has plenty of parking, to find…read moreand the people are extremely polite.